Thinking of playing college hockey?

It is imperative that you not only hone your playing skills, but your academic skills as well. In fact, ensuring that you are aware of and comply with all the NCAA academic requirements is equally important as your on-ice accomplishments.

Understanding the structure and parameters of the NCAA is the most important step on the road to your collegiate hockey experience.

What is the NCAA?
The NCAA, or National Collegiate Athletic Association, was established in 1906 and serves as the athletics governing body for more than 1,280 colleges, universities, conferences and organizations. The national office is in Indianapolis, but the member colleges and universities develop the rules and guidelines for athletics eligibility and athletics competition for each of the three NCAA divisions. The NCAA is committed to the student-athlete and to governing competition in a fair, safe, inclusive and sportsmanlike manner.

The NCAA membership includes: 326 active Division I members; 281 active Division II members; and 421 active Division III members.

One of the differences among the three divisions is that colleges and universities in Divisions I and II may offer athletics scholarships, while Division III colleges and universities may not.

Division I
Division I member institutions have to sponsor at least eight sports for men and eight for women (or seven for men and nine for women) with two team sports for each gender. Each playing season has to be represented by each gender as well. There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. 

For sports other than football and basketball, Division I schools must play 100 percent of the minimum number of contests against Division I opponents. Anything over the minimum number of games has to be 50 percent Division I. 

Division I schools must offer minimum financial aid awards for their athletic program, and there are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division I school cannot exceed. 



Division II
Division II institutions have to sponsor at least four sports for men and four for women, with two team sports for each gender, and each playing season must be represented by each gender. 

There are contest and participant minimums for each sport, as well as scheduling criteria. Football and men’s and women’s basketball teams must play at least 50 percent of their games against Division II or I-A or I-AA opponents. For sports other than football and basketball, there are no scheduling requirements. 

There are not attendance requirements for football or arena game requirements for basketball. There are maximum financial aid awards for each sport that a Division II school must not exceed. Division II teams usually feature a number of local or in-state student-athletes. Many Division II student-athletes pay for school through a combination of scholarship money, grants, student loans and employment earnings. Division II athletics programs are financed in the institution’s budget like other academic departments on campus. Traditional rivalries with regional 
institutions dominate schedules of many Division II athletics programs.

Division III
Division III institutions have to sponsor at least five sports for men and five for women, with two team sports for each gender and each playing season represented by each gender. 

There are minimum contest and participant minimums for each sport. Division III athletics feature student-athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic ability, and athletic departments are staffed and funded like any other department in the university. Division III athletic departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators. The student-athlete’s experience is of paramount concern. Division III departments encourage participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletic opportunities available to students, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.